a blog about perfume

New paperback version of Perfumes: The Guide

The new paperback version of Perfumes: The Guide by Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez is now available under the name Perfumes: The A-Z Guide. The retail price is $20; Amazon has it at the moment for $13.60.

The book includes the reviews from the hardback plus the reviews from the three quarterly updates, and a handful of new reviews and a few other changes. There's also a new index and more FAQs.

The skinny from Tania Sanchez: if you bought the hardback and the quarterly updates, the paperback might not be worth it unless you want everything in one place with an index, or unless you're dying to know their take on the new versions of the Dior classics and/or Chanel no. 5 in extrait (plus a few new reviews that were left out of the quarterly updates). If you bought the hardback but not the quarterly updates, you'd be getting around 450 new reviews by buying the paperback.

Update: after this article was posted, I received a free copy of Perfumes: The A-Z Guide from the publisher. And I kept it.

I had an exchange of emails with Luca on another subject but also asked about indexes in the new edition. He said they’d be greatly improved, I believe one will be by houses and one by notes, to me that is worth the price of the new book even though I have the hardback and the updates.

Now is a good time to do it, both because the holidays are approaching AND because they have some sort of sweepstakes going on right now. If you create, share, or add to your wishlist, you’re entered in that week’s drawing. This week is Kindle week.

Ah, I didn’t realize one could search a book on Kindle! I thought it was just thumb around. That changes everything. Must get a Kindle…

Tamarindsays:

30 October 2009 at 5:04 pm

Hey, I am coveting a Kindle big time, however I am also looking to replace my iPod touch which I unfortunately ‘misplaced’.

I would think the iPod touch is a bit small for full time reading?

Anyways this book is going on in my cart (to buy later section) I don’t use wishlists, always optimistic I will buy everything…eventually…

Robinsays:

30 October 2009 at 8:44 pm

Tamarind, yes, way too small for large scale reading, but perfect for reading when you’re waiting somewhere & don’t have book with you — I whip it out in the supermarket line, at the dr’s office, etc. Also find I can read in bed now w/o keeping my husband up, so it’s good for that too.

I adore my ebook—take it EVERYWHERE I might have to wait even 5 or 10 mins. However, Mals makes a very good point: never take your electronic book in the bathtub or pool….or in bright sunlight (it blacks out the screen after a while) So I still have stacks of paperbacks, just much smaller stacks!
I can wait for the Kindle to get a lot lower in price!

Robinsays:

30 October 2009 at 4:20 pm

I love real books. But also like having a book on my iPod to read so if I’m waiting in line, or whatever, I always have reading material on hand.

Daisysays:

30 October 2009 at 11:15 pm

Exactly Robin! I hate waiting if I just have to sit there and stress over all the things I’m NOT getting done because my butt is WAITING! So I download about a dozen books at a time onto my ebook…and it goes everywhere with me…finish one book? there’s always another right there in my hand to start. And it is great for reading in the middle of the night….just turn the back light down low and the hubby just snoozes away.

Joesays:

30 October 2009 at 11:58 am

Grr. I’d love a slim bound volume of the updates and additions only… last thing I need is another version of a book I already own. Hmm. And that price seems the same somehow as what I paid hardbound. Dilemmas.

I really want this. I have the hardcover, which I bought super cheap on the ‘bay. LOVE IT. I thumb through and randomly read it every night before bed. Once or twice, his reviews have ruined a much loved frag for me (he would point out a note or development that I then recognized upon resniffing and was ANNOYED by) but for the most part, I really love the thoughts. Even when I disagree.

What sort of index, by perfume house or notes? I haven’t seen the hardback copy in a while, but weren’t the perfumes listed in alphabetical order, anyway?
‘Course I’ll probably buy the paperback anyway, index or no.

I had ordered this in advance, and my copy arrived from Amazon on Tuesday. I think it’s worth it, since the quarterly updates are hard to work with. This gives me all the info in one package, and in one alphabetical sequence.

I’m not sure whether the indices are really helpful. What you really want is the Excel spreadsheet you can download from the PtG web site. I don’t know if it has been updated yet; I hope it will be.

The new guide has a slightly different appearance, shorter and fatter. The drawings of the perfume bottles for the five-star reviews are, alas, gone, but the five-star reviews are now shaded to make them stand out. And they’ve added price information ($ to $$$$$) for all the perfumes.

Well, let’s say the index were be more useful if there were more indices! Right now they have an index by house/brand. Under each brand the perfumes made by that brand are listed, without page numbers since you can just find that alphabetically. They also have, as in the first edition, an index by star rating.

That’s fine, but I often want more information. An index by notes, or a ranked list of perfumes from one house, or… who knows? The Excel file allows you to do all that. I presently have it sorted out by house, then by star rating within each house. The file also includes the two word description of the perfumes and (I think) the price rating. There is a link to the Excel file at http://www.perfumestheguide.com/newsletter_spring09.html.

I purchased a hard copy of the guide after discovering NST and I subscribed to the quarterlies too. I will still get this book [one of these days] cause I do like the idea of having all the information in one place. Of course, this edition will be obsolete in no time with the pace of all the new releases, but what can you do?

I don’t know if I’m exposing my local bookseller to legal action or something, but I bought this about a week before the release date. It was definitely worth it, even though I had the hard-back and the newsletter, because my hardcover copy was disintergrating from overuse and I like the new Top Ten lists in the back (best citruses, best leathers, best strange scents, etc.) Also, there are a handful of totally new reviews and it’s been fun finding them. But weep Diorissimo lovers!

I know what you mean. My hardcover was looking really rough and I was so glad to have a new pristine edition (for about 15 minutes)… I’ve had mine for about a month or so (got an advance copy from a friend at Penguin) and I’ve already worn about half the type off the backcover…

So glad to see this post today! I was just wondering if it was worth purchasing since I (like practically everyone else on here) own & love the hardback. Sounds like there’s enough new material to make it worth my while.

Just arrived at my Dutch doorstep from Amazon UK. Already own the hardcover, but I just can’t get enough of reading those reviews. They are funny, serious, hilarious, sometimes even vile. Love the book!

I keep my hardcover version of the first book right next to the couch, and I think I’ve read it cover to cover about 500 times. Even though I have the updates too I am heading right to Amazon to order the new version! I enjoy even the entries I disagree with because nothing is more subjective than the sense of smell … plus, it’s so incredibly entertaining and informative. This news makes my day!